


He Was A Pipe-Dream

by liviie



Series: Learning To Walk When You Want To Run [1]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Angst, Established Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard, Hurt Neil Josten, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:53:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27262285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liviie/pseuds/liviie
Summary: Andrew cheated on Neil, this is the blowout.
Relationships: Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Series: Learning To Walk When You Want To Run [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1991932
Comments: 14
Kudos: 140





	He Was A Pipe-Dream

"No goddammit you were the reason I stayed! Not Exy or The Foxes, just you Andrew. You _told_ me to stay. Made me promise to! Then you do this?" Let it be known that Neil Josten didn't cry; Alex, Stephen, Chris- hell even Nathaniel cried, but Neil? Neil was ready for anything life threw at him. 

Except, apparently, this. 

It was foolish, really, to think he'd get anything better in life than a duffel bag and a loaded gun. But who was Neil Josten if not the idiot with a running problem? Andrew was such an ingrained piece of Neil, that he never thought for a moment that when he said they were nothing, Andrew really meant it. 

He thought for sure they were more than that. More than one stupid word. He forgot how powerful words could really be. Neil wields them like weapons, but the moment they're turned on him, all sense of fear he should feel is void and null. 

Worst of all, Neil learned to trust Andrew, and subsequently, Neil learned why Mary told him to never do it. 

Because when Andrew looked Neil in the eyes and told him about that godforsaken night. About how Andrew cheated on Neil with some sleazy moron he found on an app, Neil felt himself slip a bit. And when Andrew looked him dead in the eyes and told him about how they've been talking for a week beforehand, Neil heard his father laughing at him and Mary scolding him. 

So, Neil Josten didn't cry. He was ready for anything life threw at him: until Andrew told him they were nothing and proved it. Then, Neil Josten found the darkest room in the most far away building, and cried until his head hurt. 

And then he cried, just a little more. 

His phone buzzed quite a bit, but Neil didn't feel like going home just yet. Neil felt like running. For the first time since Baltimore, Neil felt like changing his name and disappearing back into that nothingness he used to call home. 

It's not that Neil depended on Andrew to be there always and forever, in fact, a little part of Neil always knew there would be an end to their… nothing. It wasn't that they ended, it was that Andrew chose this way to end it. He purposefully did this to hurt Neil, to betray him. 

The problem was, Neil would go back to Andrew if he asked. He thinks, as he gets back off the floor of the far away room, that no matter what Andrew did, Neil would always forgive him. 

That, above all else, was what broke him. 

This time, when his phone rang, Neil picked up and waited for Andrew to say something. Anything. 

He didn't have to wait long. 

"Where?" 

"I'll come back on my own Andrew," Neil whispered, "But. Drew, I don't think it's going to be tonight." 

"When then?" 

"I need you to actually ask yourself if you even want me to go back. You had to have done that for some reason." 

The line was silent and Neil felt a deep guilt wash over him. Andrew already forgave himself, why hadn't Neil? Andrew always holds grudges, especially against himself: but this one time was the exception. Maybe it wasn't an accident. 

"Stay?" 

"Andrew," Neil's voice cracked. 

"Please." 

Neil wanted to scream. Andrew can't be fucking serious. They worked together to overcome all of this trauma, mountains and mountains worth and Andrew uses his against Neil. One fucking word. All of this time he was just biding until finally, he could use it. Andrew pulled the trigger and watched as Neil had to stitch up the bullet wound. 

"Fuck you, Andrew," Neil hissed, "I'll talk to you later." 

When he hung up the phone, Neil shed his skin like a snake, and slowly became Joseph.

**Author's Note:**

> I need some fic Inspo, this prompt was so old.
> 
> Anyways thanks for reading <3


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